Eysink, the first Dutch car manufacturer, was founded by D.H. (Dick) Eysink in The Netherlands in 1886 as a bicycle manufacturer. Sons Menno and August saw a future in automobiles and motorcycles and directed the company’s efforts accordingly. While Eysink enjoyed the lack of automotive competition in neutral The Netherlands during the First World War, cheap imports streamed through the border after the war, and so Eysink returned to its roots – bikes and motorcycles.
Eysink used proprietary engines for its motorcycles through the mid-1920s, but later, as in this example, they relied on many different suppliers including Villiers, JAP, Rudge, and Matchless. Between the Wars, Eysink made both small 2-stroke bikes as well as larger 4-strokes; post-WWII only 2-strokes were produced.
The Eysink Renata seen here is unusual in that it is a tandem moped – that is, each person has a seat, pedals, and handlebars. All Renatas were offered in this configuration, and all used German-made JLO two-stroke engines. Eysink production ended in 1956.
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Engine: JLO; air-cooled, single-cylinder, 2-stroke, 2bhp
Transmission: Centrifugal clutch
Top Speed: How fast can you pedal?